From: "WisItalia Web Updates" <wisitalia.info@gmail.com>
Subject: WisItalia Web Updates
Date: March 11th 2012

WisItalia Web Updates - March 2012

Ciao a tutti!


I think Jimmy, the Sun Prairie groundhog, was right! Seems we are having an early Spring. Temperatures will reach the 70s this week. But don’t put away your winter clothes just yet. By the end of the month, temps will be back down into the high 30s!

1.     The next WisItalia meeting is Saturday, March 17, from 10:00 am – 12:00 noon, at the Italian Community Center (ICC), 631 E. Chicago Street, Milwaukee, WI. Special guest: Roberto Pennazzato, Dirigente Scolastico/Director of the Education Office of the Consulate General of Italy in Chicago will be attending this meeting. Download the agenda at http://www.wisitalia.org/pdfs/WisItaliaMeetingAgenda2012-03-17.pdf. All are welcomed to attend.

2.     We’d love to have you join us for the WisItalia Awards Banquet on May 12, at O'Donoghue's Irish Pub, 13225 Watertown Plank Rd, Elm Grove, WI 53122. Every year, WisItalia honors an Italian Teacher of the Year, an Outstanding Service Award recipient and the WisItalia President's Award recipient. Award recipients will be announced soon. Make your reservations now! Complete the reservation form (http://www.wisitalia.org/pdfs/TeacherYearReservation2012.pdf) and submit to Al Rolandi by April 7.

3.     Learning Italian? Try an online method through Cyber Italian http://www.cyberitalian.com/. Self-Study Courses, Tutored Courses, Private Lessons, Courses for Schools and Universities, and a Coaching Program based on a method developed for the United Nations in New York. Used by individual students, schools and universities all over the world. Approved by NIAF. Their vision is to offer an effective, engaging and innovative method for spreading the learning of Italian language and culture around the world, while encouraging the personal expression of each student.

4.     Interested in studying in Italy? Here are a few more schools for you to consider:

• Centro Mediterraneo Pintadera (http://www.pintadera.info/) - Pintadera is a small Italian language school located in a quiet and picturesque alley of the old town of Alghero in Sardinia. Welcoming and relaxing, the school offers the perfect atmosphere for learning the Italian language and gaining a unique insight into Sardinian culture.
  
  
• Centro Linguistico di Ateneo (http://www.unive.it/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=89808) - The CLA, Ca' Foscari University's Language Centre in Venice (San Sebastiano, Dorsoduro 1686), is offering foreign students 40-hour intensive Italian language courses, plus 10 hours of study in its Self-Access Centre (optional) during June through September 2012.
  
  
• More studying in Italy this summer - 4 weeks standard courses (80 hours)
  All US Colleges and Universities students are eligible to receive Neumann University transfer credits (3 credits). Courses offered: Italian 101, 102, 201 and 202. The credits will normally be transferable to most American colleges and universities. http://www.neumann.edu/ise/studyabroad/programs/Assisi.asp.
  
  
• Learn Italian in Assisi, Italy this summer and receive college credits http://www.aliassisi.it/en/courses/italian-language-courses/u-s-students/
  
  
• In fact, WisItalia has posted a list of many schools in Italy where you can learn Italian. See http://www.wisitalia.org/pages/schoolsItaly.html#schoolsItaly.
  
  

5.     Youth Italian National Olympic Team USA Midwest Tryouts are in Chicago March 24 & 25, 2012. Italian and Italian-American children between 11-13 years old are eligible to tryout for the Italian National Olympic Committee USA (CONI USA) Swimming and Track & Field teams. Children may tryout for either the swimming or track & field team, or both. If selected, child athlete will be awarded an all expenses paid trip to Italy that includes international airfare, room and board, full participation in local Youth Sport Games - Giochi della Gioventu' program in the Province/Cities of Salerno-Paestum, Italy from June 7-15, 2012. Register at https://sportivochicago.wufoo.com/forms/2012-midwest-tryout-registration-coni-usa/.

6.     The University of Dallas invites high school students interested in literature and history to participate in its annual summer program, Shakespeare in Italy. Each summer, University of Dallas professors lead students through the most compelling works of Shakespeare's corpus in the midst of his most enchanting and breathtaking Italian settings. Like all of their summer programs, Shakespeare in Italy is based upon classical and classic texts from the University's Core Curriculum. See http://www.udallas.edu/academics/summer/hs/italy.

7.     Encourage your students (ages 8-18 years old) to apply for a $500 Cuomo Scholars Award to attend Lago del Bosco, the Italian Language Village in Minnesota this Summer! Deadline: April 12, 2012. To apply, complete a short essay about why you want to learn Italian and/or about Italian culture. Winners will be asked to produce a short media project after their session at Lago del Bosco that explains one element of Italian cultural, political, or scientific contributions—ancient, historical, or modern. Online Application Form (http://www.concordialanguagevillages.org/newsite/Programs/Youth/Summer_villages/Italian/Italian_Scholarship_Opportunities.php).

8.     See student scholarship opportunities http://www.wisitalia.org/pages/scholarships.html. Deadlines are fast approaching in March and April! Sponsored by the Gogebic and Iron County Paisano Club, Italian-American Women's Club of Madison (IAWC), Italian Workmen's Club of Madison (IWC), Milwaukee Chapter of UNICO and the Ladies of UNICO, Order Sons of Italy Fillippo Mazzei Lodge #2763, and Racine Roma Lodge.

9.     Conference in Rome for Teachers of Italian on March 31, 2012 - Video streaming for teachers is available for those not able to attend in person. See http://www.almaedizioni.it/it/ and http://www.almaedizioni.it/media/upload/almaxxi_2012/almaxxi_loc_streaming.pdf.

10.   The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) offers a variety of grants. For more information, contact Alexandra Dall at (202) 939-3118 or via email: adall@niaf.org. NIAF grant program website (http://www.niaf.org/grants/) - you must apply online. Application Deadline: June 29, 2012. NIAF has four grant category designations in which it awards monies to applicants:

• Italian Language Grants
• Culture and Heritage Grants
• Fellowship Grants
• Youth Program Grants
  
  

11.   Do you want to be this year's Festa Queen at the Fitchburg Festa Italia, a three-day fun-filled Italian festival at the McKee Farm Park, Fitchburg, WI? Event takes place June 1-3, 2012. Miss Festa serves as a goodwill ambassador whose duties include representing the Italian Community of Madison at Festa Italia, greeting and mingling with guests at the festival, participating in media events/opportunities with regard to the advertising/publicity for Festa Italia, and other duties as may be determined by the Festa Committee and the Italian Workmen's Club Council. Main festival events and activities include singing, dancing, bocce, Italian foods, scholarship awards, raffle, etc. If interested, submit a completed application (http://www.wisitalia.org/pdfs/IWCMissFestaApp2012.pdf) by Monday, April 2, 2012. Applicants must be of Italian heritage and at least 16 years old.

12.   Italian teachers and others who love Italian! Join the Global Italian Network! http://www.paisani.com is the Global Italian Social Club. They are a community of Italians from fifteen countries on six continents. They are the premier virtual Italian Club in the world. Come share your teaching programs, history, traditions, memories, old family recipe stories, etc… with the your “Paesani” around the world! Share your stories, or hear the stories of others for the purpose of preserving and enhancing the growth of Italian culture and traditions worldwide. It is  a great place to promote your club, school, company or just connect with other Italians!

13.   The Italian Club of Sheboygan learned how to play the Italian card game Scopa at their recent meeting. Here's how to play http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=c2owZ1fvMFU.

14.   Free Italian films! La cineteca italiana at UW-Madison. Free Italian films shown on alternating Wednesday evenings from 6:00 pm - 8:15 pm, UW-Madison campus, room 1217 Humanities, 455 North Park Street, Madison. Here's the schedule http://www.wisitalia.org/pdfs/CinetecaSpring2012.pdf. Upcoming films:

• I cento passi (March 14)
• La febbre (March 28)
• La prima cosa bella (April 11)
• La nostra vita (April 25)

  
  

15.   Check out other upcoming Italian-related activities and events at http://www.wisitalia.org/pages/events.html. Also, the Facebook page lists events and activities, too at http://www.facebook.com/wisitalia.

• 2^nd and 4^th Tuesdays - Italian Club, Circolo Italiano (UW-Milwaukee student club) meets at 1:00 pm, in Curtin Hall, room 766. Curtin Hall is located at 3243 N Downer Ave, Milwaukee. Everybody who is interested in Italy and Italian culture is welcome to attend. Contact Simonetta Milli Konewko smilli@uwm.edu if you would like more information or if you have questions.
  
  
• Friday, March 16, 2012 - Musica Antica. Presented by the Italian Community Center Culture Committee and Early Music Now. Come enjoy a 50-minute musical and cultural program featuring two nationally known groups performing Italian Renaissance music, starting at 7:00 pm. They will also be offering wine, cheese and chocolate at the reception at 8:00 pm. The cost is $20/person, and includes admission to the concert, a glass of wine of your choice, cheese and crackers, and chocolate tastings. It will be held at the Italian Community Center (ICC) 631 East Chicago Street, Milwaukee, WI. This event is open to the public.
  
  
• Friday, March 16, Sunday, March 18 and Tuesday, March 20, 2012 - Don Giovanni - University Opera and the UW Chamber Orchestra. One of the world's most popular and often performed operas takes the stage in University Opera's spring production, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Don Giovanni." Sung in Italian with English surtitles. All shows will be presented at the Carol Rennebohm Auditorium in Music Hall on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
  
  
• Monday, March 19, 2012 - St. Joseph's Day Luncheon at the Italian Community Center (ICC) 631 East Chicago Street, Milwaukee, WI. This event is open to the public. The deadline for paid reservations is Thursday, March 15. The cost is $16 per person.
  
  
• Wednesday, March 21, 2012 - Milwaukee's Filippo Mazzei Lodge of the Order Sons of Italy in America invites the public to a free presentation by Attorney Theodore W. Grippo, author of the award-winning book, "With Malice Aforethought: The Execution of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti" on Wednesday, March 21 at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St., Milwaukee, beginning at 6 p.m. with a spuntino. See the Italian Book Corner page http://www.wisitalia.org/pages/books.html for more details about the book and where to purchase a copy.
  
  
• Saturday, March 31, 2012 - The Santa Rosalia Società of Milwaukee, founded in 2005, would like to invite all to attend their Annual Spring Dinner Dance at the Italian Community Center (ICC), 631 E. Chicago Street, Milwaukee, WI, on Saturday, March 31, 2012, starting at 5:00 pm for cocktails, with dinner at 6:00 pm. Come hear a live band (The Enzo Scarano & Stella Raimondi Band) and participate in the raffles. This is an annual fundraiser for family, friends and the public, benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society this year.
  
  
• Sunday, April 1, 2012 - All You Can Eat Palm Sunday Breakfast, sponsored by the Pompeii Women's Club, will be held at the Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago Street, Milwaukee, WI. This is the club's most important fund-raising activity of the year. Open to the public.
  
  
• Friday, April 6, 2012 - Good Friday Fish Fry Buffet - All You Can Eat! The Pompeii Men's Club will hold their annual Good Friday fish fry on April 6, 2012, from 4:00-7:30 pm at the Italian Community Center (ICC), 631 E. Chicago Street, Milwaukee, WI, 53202. A super prize and money raffle will be held in conjunction with the event. All proceeds help support local charities. Open to the public.
  
  

16.   Here are the monthly newsletters:

• Tutto Italiano February newsletter http://www.wisitalia.org/pdfs/TuttoItalianoFeb2012.html.
• Select Italy's February Cappuccino newsletter is now online at http://selectitaly.com/emails/2012_02_24_full.html.
• Green Bay Italo-Americano Club March newsletter http://www.wisitalia.org/pdfs/GB_IL_PICCOLO_GIORNALE-Mar_2012.pdf.
• NIAF March eNotizie http://www.niaf.org/news/enews/enews_march_2012.asp.
• Milwaukee's Italian Community Center's The Italian Times' March newspaper http://iccmilwaukee.com/italian-times.html.
• Racine's Roma Lodge is now online at http://members.romalodge.com/files/files/2012%20March%20Newsletter.pdf.
  
  

17.   Here's an interesting website http://www.charmingitaly.com/. This website is always on the look out for the best blogs on the web about what to see and do when visiting the Mediterranean.  As such they share the best of the best with their readers in the hopes that people will find the highlighted websites useful when planning trips and narrowing down a busy itinerary. 

A presto,



Rita Prigioni
WisItalia Secretary and Webmaster (volunteer)
wisitalia.info@gmail.com

www.wisitalia.org